Saturday, December 12, 2009

The city's West Cabanne Place opened in 1888 as a semi-rural private street, located away from the urban core of St. Louis. Many prominent businessmen and a few architects -- including Charles Ramsey and Theodore Link -- purchased lots and built large homes on West Cabanne. Built in 1889 for E.O. Pope of the Jones-Pope Produce Company, the house at 5927 West Cabanne was one of the earliest residences on the street. The designer of the eclectic home remains unknown. Jane Porter, author of the National Register of Historic Places nomination for West Cabanne Place, suggests that a contractor rather than an architect designed the Italianate-influenced house, which mixes elements rather freely.

In the 1990s, 5927 West Cabanne Place appeared to be at risk of being lost. Landmarks Association of St. Louis included in the house in its annual Eleven Most Endangered Places list for several years. Eventually, however, the home fell into the hands of an owner who gave the house needed rehabilitation work. The exterior was restored by removing asphalt siding and repairing and replacing wooden elements. Now the spacious residence is for sale for the unbelievable price of $119,000. This truly must be a buyer's market, for a rehabilitated home on West Cabanne Place to be offered at that price!

6 comments:

Sadly, I examined this house back in August; there was some pretty darn shabby renovation work done on this fine home. The low price belies the potentially thousands of dollars of repairs needed to make the house up to code. Still a great deal on an awesome house, though.

Chris: So, more of a flip, rather than a restoration? Still, whatever they did, they can't be making too much money on it, no matter what the price. Unless they bought it for a song. Certainly, it seems they updated the City sewer connection. There's $10K-20K a new owner won't need to spend.

Perhaps, but not sure of the history of recent owners. I know the front gable on the porch was not done correctly; it looks downright bad. The back porch's 2x4's are bending up because they're so warped.

I don't know if it's the repairs that deter new buyers -- I would posit that if someone wanted a historic home in St. Louis on the cheap, there are safer neighborhoods than Cabanne. Anyone willing to drop the $150k necessary to buy this house and make it a home could just as easily buy a home in Soulard or Lafayette Square. If we're talking big historic homes in need of work, a giant of a mansion at 4270 Delmar has been on the market for months with no takers.

2x4's? On a porch support? Oy. Flip. Too bad the new owners may need to spend money to correct the "rehabbers" mistakes. Hell, at least the flippers did something. 'Tis more than what any alderman does, or has done.